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The following is a summary of “Effect of pain on gait in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the April 2025 issue of Journal of Pain by Seydi et al. 

Multi-site pain was common in individuals aged 60 and over, and it had been associated with an increased risk of falls, with evidence suggesting that pain contributed to slower gait and shorter walking distances, impairing mobility.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the evidence on the relationship between pain and gait characteristics in older adults (OAs).  

They searched PubMed and Embase, including observational studies and clinical trials assessing objective measures of walking, such as gait speed, cadence, stride length, and double-limb support time, in OAs with and without pain. Of the 1,218 studies screened, 13 met the inclusion criteria from the primary search. An additional study was identified through the secondary search, resulting in 14 studies included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. None of these studies investigated the relationship between fear of pain and gait characteristics in OAs.  

The results showed that OAs with pain had a slower gait speed than those without pain, with a small effect size (Hedge’s g = −0.30, 95% CI = −0.41 to −0.19, P< 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were found in cadence, stride length, or double-limb support time.  

Investigators concluded that pain had impacted walking speed in OAs, underscoring the significance of addressing this relationship to manage mobility deficits and fall risk. 

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00736-3/abstract